White Sox select 1B Keon Barnum with 48th pick (video)

MLB Drafttracker:

Player	School	Pos	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB	Class
Barnum, Keon	King HS (FL)	1B	L/L	6’05”	225	1993-01-16	HS	Video
Comments: For a player to profile at first, teams will typically want to see plenty of power and run production potential. Barnum, a Florida prep product, has both.A big, strong physical specimen, Barnum can generate a lot of bat speed and has the ability to drive the ball to all parts of the ballpark. He shows most of his home run power to the pull side, but there’s plenty of raw pop there all-around. Barnum’s fine defensively at first, and some have even asked to see him play an outfield corner.Like many young hitters with power, Barnum will get long with his swing at times and try to muscle the ball out. The ability to make adjustments and have a more refined approach will likely come with time and experience.

Enhanced Scouting Report Video

BTW,

In conference call with Doug Laumann, it sounded as if Keon Barnum is close to a deal with the White Sox

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) June 5, 2012

And here are some Youtube videos of Hawkins:

White Sox select CF Courtney Hawkins with 13th pick (video)

MLB Drafttracker:

Player	School	Pos	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB	Class
Hawkins, Courtney	Carroll HS (TX)	CF	R/R	6’03”	220	1993-11-12	HS	Video
Comments: The Texas high school product was shooting up draft boards as the 2012 spring season began, thanks to a very successful summer. While he pitches and will touch 90 mph, his future is in the outfield. He has some swing-and-miss to his game, but he does have power. He has shown the ability to hit any fastball and can show pop to all fields, though he needs to improve his approach at the plate, where his over-aggressiveness leads to those misses. An average to a tick-above-average runner, he’ll play center field for his high school team, but with his size, strength, power profile and at-least-average arm, the University of Texas commit profiles best as a corner outfielder in the future.

Enhanced Scouting Report Video

Scott Merkin:

For the first time since 2001, the White Sox selected a high-school player with their top pick in the First-Year Player Draft.

Courtney Hawkins, an outfielder with big power from Carroll High School in Texas and also a top-notch pitcher, was the White Sox choice at No. 13 on Monday night. Chris Sale was the last 13th pick for the White Sox back in 2010, but Hawkins will take a little longer to reach the Majors than the two months it took Sale.

Hawkins stands at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and is from Corpus Christi, having already made a collegiate commitment to the University of Texas. After getting the word of his selection and before doing an interview with MLB Network’s Sam Ryan, Hawkins did a celebratory back flip while wearing a White Sox jersey.

Conor Glassey:

Hawkins stands 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds. He’s a freak athlete who fits the power-hitting right field profile to a T. He shows excellent power potential and a strong arm, as he’s also been up to 95 mph off the mound. Hawkins is playing in the Texas high school semi-finals this week.

Scott Powers:

ESPN Scouts Inc. describes Hawkins as “one of the most explosive hitters in this year’s draft, combining brute strength with excellent bat speed for very hard contact (when he makes it). … If he hits, he’s a potential All-Star who’ll hit for average and power with value on defense. There’s just more performance risk here because he doesn’t fully repeat his swing and lacks experience against better-quality pitching.”

Thomas Belmont:

13. Chicago White Sox – Courtney Hawkins OF/RHP Carroll HS, Corpus Christi, Texas – Hawkins is committed to Texas, but with some of the best game ready power in the high school class this year he may go high enough to sway his commitment. He has a solid 6’3″, 215 lbs frame and is an above average runner with a plus arm for RF.Our Instinct – Hawkins bat is ready for the move to the pro stage. He’s not a power only hitter, willing to take a walk and work the count. With instruction he’ll be able to further employ his game power in better hitters counts. He makes consistent hard contact and uses the whole field with plus plus power to the pull side. He has the arm to stick in the more premium RF corner. But CF won’t be a play for him in pro ball.The Pick – Draft Helium and Hawkins deserved it. He projects to have plus power and this is a big strong kid. Inside the bulky frame is a lot of athleticism. Very much a South side type of player. He should fit in well with the White Sox.

Matt Gariroch:

At the plate is where Hawkins can really show his potential. He is raw in his approach and will likely have his share of strike outs because he gets out front on off speed pitches and generally attacks each pitch. The positive from that is the power he produces. He isn’t just a batting practice hitter. He can hit against game pitching and has usable power that no other high school hitter and few college hitters from this class can match.His speed is impressive, his power is well above average and he could give CF a run in pro ball. He could be a 20-20 guy, or a 30-10 guy in pro ball. If he decides not to sign, he is committed to Texas and could help turn that program around with CJ Hinojosa, but he should go in the top half of the 1st round and sign there.

BTW,

GREAT pick for White Sox. Shouldn't have been there.

— Kevin Goldstein (@Kevin_Goldstein) June 5, 2012

Courtney Hawkins’ twitter page is @CHawkins10.

And here are some Youtube videos of Hawkins:

2012 MLB Draft live video feed

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=21928635&c_id=cws

Other links:

Draft Central – Draftcaster – Drafttracker